Updates on news innovation research, funding and projects

It’s been a hectic few months. And, it seems, there’s more to come in 2012.

• Today, it was announced that I’ve been selected from amongst more than 300 entries as one of three winners of the inaugural International Press Institute’s News Innovation Contest, funded from a grant by Google. (More about the Media And Digital Enterprise or  MADE project here. Also, please add your contact details here, if you want to be kept in the loop or work with me on this one. Follow the Twitter conversation at #MADEproject ).


• I've also recently learned that the research paper, “The 4Cs of Mobile News”, which my research partner Oscar Westlund and I presented at the (always excellent) Future of Journalism conference in Cardiff in September, has been selected for a special issue of the prestigious Journalism Practice journal due out in 2012.


• Earlier this month, Martha Stone and I also wrapped up the data collection for World Newsmedia Innovation Study (formerly the World News Future & Change Study) and plan to issue our third annual report early in the new year.


• Also coming soon (I hope) is the final report of the #journopay study into how UK journalists are rewarded, which was launched with the help of Sarah Bould and the team at Hold the Front Page . Roy Greenslade previewed the interim results in the Guardian.

• Haven't finalised my conference schedule for next year, but looking forward to speaking more about how UK regional news publishers are mobilising (or not) at News: Rewired in London on February 3rd. Also hope to be able to share more details about the #MADEproject by that stage, too.

Then there's also my continuing work with the inspiring editors on the Journalism Leaders Programme, helping Nick Turner out with the Digital Editors Network (diary note: next meetup on 23 Feb), a new Fundamentals of Business for Media Entrepreneurs module for MA magazine and publishing students at UCLAN, planning for the journalism division's 50th anniversary (yes, we're not only one of the best journalism programmes in the UK, we're also the oldest), two book chapters and the final stretch of my doctoral thesis at City University with Prof Howard Tumber.  No doubt, 2012 is going to be a busy one.


Updates along the way on Twitter @francoisnel and academia.edu.

And, of course, always keen to meet up  with kindred spirits f2f. So be in touch if you think our paths might cross in (or near) one of the following cities in 2012 - Manchester, Preston, London, Winchester, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Istanbul.

#ukjournopay New study: How are journalists being rewarded?

There's been a lot of talk about the financial health of the journalism industry (Summary: diagnosis - poor; prognosis -mixed). And there's been quite a bit of discussion (and some research ) about the experiences of journalists who have left or been forced out of their jobs.

But what about those staying behind? Just how are UK journalists, who face increasing demands, being rewarded?

After Jim Oldfied, the striking editor of the South Yorkshire Times, revealed in an NUJ meeting reported on by Jon Slattery & HTFP, that his annual pay after 37 years in journalism is £25,500, I figured it's time to take a closer look.

To that end, I'm conducting an online survey of the pay of UK journalists. If you're a fulltime, part-time, contract or freelance journalist working for a UK newspaper, magazine, broadcaster or online news site, please take 10 minutes to complete this survey.

While all answers will remain anonymous, I will be happy to send you a copy of the report if you add contact details, which will be held separately and never passed on.

Of course, if you have any questions or suggestions for this study, please don't hesitate to be in touch. And any efforts to spread the word about the #ukjournopay research would be very much appreciated.

Related: In case you're interested, my 2010 report, Laidoff: What do UK journalists do next?, is available here.